Perverts, traffickers targeted in budget

Perverts and people traffickers will be targeted by new government agencies outlined in the federal budget.

Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton in Parliament.

Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton in Parliament. Source: AAP

Predators and perverts will be targeted by a $70 million child exploitation offensive bankrolled in the federal budget.

The new Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation, based in Brisbane, will boost police and border force numbers to stamp out trafficking and live-streamed material.

"It will save exploited children, prosecute those abusing them, disrupt distribution of horrific abuse-related materials and pursue the criminals profiting from this trade," Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton said.

Funding for existing investigative, intelligence, forensics and victim-identification staff will also be boosted by about 50 per cent.

The budget also earmarks $3.6 million over four years to establish an anti-slavery unit within the Department of Home Affairs.

The government fears modern slavery is occurring in the supply chains and operations of businesses operating in Australia.

It hopes the unit will help businesses mitigate the risk of slavery, strengthen criminal justice outcomes and enhance victim supports.

Another $60 million will go towards a national criminal intelligence system designed to give frontline police the information they need to combat crime and disrupt terror threats.

Mr Dutton believes the system will give law enforcement and intelligence agencies "the first truly national and unified picture" of criminal activity.


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Source: AAP



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